TY - JOUR
T1 - Amphiphilically Nanostructured Deep Eutectic Solvents
AU - McDonald, Samila
AU - Murphy, Thomas
AU - Imberti, Silvia
AU - Warr, Gregory G.
AU - Atkin, Rob
PY - 2018/7/19
Y1 - 2018/7/19
N2 - Deep eutectic solvents (DESs) are neoteric liquids produced by mixing a high-melting-point salt and a molecular hydrogen-bond donor. Amphiphilic (self-assembled) liquid nanostructure, which is key for many of the useful properties of the related ionic liquid class, has not previously been experimentally demonstrated in DESs. Here we show how amphiphilically nanostructured DESs can be prepared using primary ammonium cations. The bulk structure of alkylammonium bromide (alkyl = ethyl-, propyl-, and butyl) and glycerol DESs at a 1:2 mol ratio is examined using neutron diffraction and empirical potential structure refinement fitting. Analysis reveals cation alkyl chain association, which is the signature of amphiphilic liquid nanostructure, in all systems, which becomes better defined with increasing chain length. The ability to form amphiphilically nanostructured DESs will enable the translation of ionic liquid properties associated with liquid nanostructure to DESs.
AB - Deep eutectic solvents (DESs) are neoteric liquids produced by mixing a high-melting-point salt and a molecular hydrogen-bond donor. Amphiphilic (self-assembled) liquid nanostructure, which is key for many of the useful properties of the related ionic liquid class, has not previously been experimentally demonstrated in DESs. Here we show how amphiphilically nanostructured DESs can be prepared using primary ammonium cations. The bulk structure of alkylammonium bromide (alkyl = ethyl-, propyl-, and butyl) and glycerol DESs at a 1:2 mol ratio is examined using neutron diffraction and empirical potential structure refinement fitting. Analysis reveals cation alkyl chain association, which is the signature of amphiphilic liquid nanostructure, in all systems, which becomes better defined with increasing chain length. The ability to form amphiphilically nanostructured DESs will enable the translation of ionic liquid properties associated with liquid nanostructure to DESs.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85049501001&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1021/acs.jpclett.8b01720
DO - 10.1021/acs.jpclett.8b01720
M3 - Article
C2 - 29961321
AN - SCOPUS:85049501001
SN - 1948-7185
VL - 9
SP - 3922
EP - 3927
JO - Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters
JF - Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters
IS - 14
ER -